Kurt Busch looks for Kentucky rebound

(L-R) Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, talks with Kurt Busch, driver of the #51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2012 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

 

(L-R) Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, talks with Kurt Busch, driver of the #51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2012 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

SPARTA, Ky. –After team owner and younger brother Kyle replaced him at Chicago, Kurt Busch returns behind the wheel of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for only the fourth time in the last 10 races.

The elder Busch brother is hoping for similar good fortune that he had in the late June Nationwide race at Kentucky Speedway, where he finished runner-up to winner Austin Dillon.

Matt Crafton practiced the car for Busch on Friday (Busch was in Loudon, N.H., practicing for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race), and will also qualify the car Saturday, but Kurt Busch will drive the car in the race (because Crafton is qualifying the car, Busch will have to start from the back of the field).

“It will be a little difficult driving from the back,” Busch conceded. “But as we saw last week when Kyle finished second in his Chicago return, it works to take the notes from the first run earlier in the year, improve on that, and get the better result you are looking for. That is what we’re hoping for.

“Mike (crew chief Mike Beam) and the team have a lot of confidence right now and it shows the level of improvement. I can’t wait to jump back into the No. 54 car and see if we can do one better this time around.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.